$20m art project splits New Yorkers

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1411425,00.html

A man entering Central Park as the sun began to dip on Thursday evening looked quizzically at the 5 metre-high (16ft) bright orange frames lining the path in front of him. "Is this the $20m (£11m) art project?" he asked. "I can think of a lot better things to do with $20m."

His small black and white dog then approached the base of one of them and raised its leg. "At least my dog likes it," he added. "That's something."

An army of volunteers will today unfurl 7,500 pieces of saffron-coloured fabric that will hang from the gates above the paths of New York's most famous park, in a project called The Gates, one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial the city has seen.

Several hundred police have been called in to protect the work from vandals. Helicopters will patrol the park from the sky and high-powered cameras placed on buildings surrounding the perimeter.

[latteromden]

1. I dunno, I kinda like it. It'd be cool to see.

Unfortunately, comes down 2 days before I go to New York. What luck!

[Sleepless In NY]

2. Considering what bush allowed to happen here, it's fitting

Given what we have learned about bush's ignoring all pre 9/11 intelligence, it almost seems symbolic.
The orange color reminds me of terrorist alerts & protests, both of which we have been through here.

Is it ugly? to some yes, but what happened to NY is even uglier, so I think it's fitting. Ironic, that bloomberg wouldn't allow a protest in Cental Park during the RNC convention, because it would "hurt" the grass, but for this, hoping thousands of tourists will come in , wont. So essentially when it comes to freedom of speech,to talk about what really happened on 9/11, to protest, we are behind the "Gates", aren't we? Penned in. Thats my interpetation.

[KurtNYC]

3. A lady called the gates "like toilet papering someone's house"

How ironic that they say they need extra cops to protect the work from vandals .

Reminds me of the old SNL bit... "vandals broke into the Louvre and attached arms to the Venus d'Milo."